We are the "The Green Room," a constituency of university students who have one single-minded goal: to bring the knowledge of the academy to the public. Though we value what we are able to do ourselves, our real power is in what we are able to help others to accomplish. That is why we are reaching out—we want to help. To this end, the Green Room is committed to diligent scholarship on issues of contemporary relevance, and to sharing what we discover with the world.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Why in the court of law do people view it as guilty until proven innocent, when the "American way" is innocent until proven guilty? The murder case about Casey Anthony and how people never read the evidence and thought she was guilty without having any knowledge to the case.

My exploratory essay will focus on abortion.
- Should abortion be illegal in the United States?
- If abortion is illegal, will the amount of women getting abortions decrease at all? Or will women find other, more dangerous ways to abort their unwanted pregnancies illegally?

Is marketing to younger kids more effective for a sports team? By doing this will the kids, support that team throughout the years? Should companies be marketing sports products to young children? Do they benefit?

Are US businesses declining because the Chinese economy is increasing?

BLOG #9 Topical Questions

In response to the video of Malika Sarabhai and our class discussion of this, I am writing a related exploratory essay.
As a musician, I am wondering, what can I find out about groups using music specifically to spread political messages of awareness?
Is there documentation of specific ways in which these groups, through their music, have affected change in others?

My topic is about how a person's representation of their true identity changes based on where they are. Is this seeming change in personality directly related to the people in specific environments? Do people act differently because it is expected of them to 'fit the mold' of that environment?

My topic is the effects of lowering the drinking age to 18. One of the questions I have is, Does lowering the drinking age up the risk of more deaths? Since a lot of 18 year old's are drinking already, would lowering the drinking age just allow even younger teens to have easier access to alcohol?

Suheir Hammad does a great job of using ethos, pathos and logos in her poetry. Ethos is used throughout the whole poem. She states things that have been said to her that are very unethical. Like when someone asks her “what navy is your brother in?” (Hammad 2:16). It is very unethical to blame someone for the sole fact of the color of their skin. She says that she cried when the towers fall. She was born in America and so were her brothers so she does not want to hear that her brothers could be blamed. She was also asked if she knew the attackers. This is another very unethical thing to ask again because the asker was saying that based on the color of her skin and did not know who she really was. Hammad uses logical appeal when she asks the audience why we never have persecuted white people for their terrorist actions. She gives many examples. One being the KKK. This really resonated with me because I have never really thought about that either. Her logos even influenced me through this. I believe that Hammad uses pathos the most. Almost everything she says in her poem has to do with some type of emotion. One element of pathos is when she is talking about the big white woman that gives her a hug when she sees Hammad crying. All she can say is that she is arab and her brother is in the navy. The woman can only say that she’s in double trouble. The emotion used in her poem is so overwhelming. As the camera shows the audience you see people of all colors either crying or cheering about what Hammad has to say.

After running through this video for the first time, I noticed how well she articulated her speech, and how she show emotions. I had to watch it a couple more times to get all of what she was trying to say. She definitely fits the role of a rhetor. She uses logos and pathos mainly, and shows us the side of what she has to deal with. Her emotions show when she talks about how she gets treated differently because of her skin, even though she is American. When she said "one more person asked me if i knew the hijackers." (Hammad 2:11) I felt her emotion, because that is just a horrible thing that people assume that about you just by how you look. Her ethics make great points in how she speaks. She phrases statements very well, and you can feel she really is into what she is talking about. She said "Don't think a people represents an evil" (Hammad 2:25), which is very relative to what she is trying to bring out to people. Of course a people can't all be equally evil, which is what is happening and always has been to different groups of people. I feel that her logos went along with her talking about how is it logical to blame a whole group of people for something. Her statements were clean and made a lot of sense. She is trying to get people to understand what she has to go through for something she had absolutely nothing to do with. Overall, I thought her poem was well articulated, and an eyeopener.

Suheir Hammad’s performance of “First Writing Since” was one of the most moving things that I think we have read so far in this class. She is passionate, angry, sad, and persuasive. Her entire poem is immersed in Aristotles rhetorical appeals, ethos, pathos, and logos. From the beginning, Hammad uses pathos to an extreme. I felt very emotional when she spoke the words, “Sky where once was steel, smoke where once was flesh. Please God, let it be a mistake… God please, don’t let it be anyone that looks like my brothers”(Hammad 0:28). She describes the attacks on September 11th in a way that makes the audience think of their own brothers, or sisters, or other loved ones, and the fear that they felt on that day for their family, friends, and country. She uses this poetry to draw in the audience and first make them feel her pain that she felt. She then starts in with ethos, or ethics. “A woman crying in a car parked, and stranded, and hurt, I offered comfort. A hand she did not see before she said ‘We’re gonna burn them so bad’” (Hammad 1:11), this instance angers me in that this woman would immediately jump to attacking the entire country. The citizens and children of Iraq had no part in the terrorist attacks and to want to harm them because they are associated with these awful people by race and nationality is ethically wrong.

After watching Suheir Hammed in Def Jam Poetry, I discovered ways that she utilized logos, ethos, and pathos. Hammed uses Aristotle's logos or logical by persuading the audience through poetry. You can tell when the camera shows the audience that everyone, and by everyone I mean there were many different races in the audience, had their eyes glued to her and were really listening. You can tell because after some lines that she said, "We didn't vilify white men when McVeigh bombed Oklahoma, give out his families address or church or blame the bible or pat fuc*ing robinson"(2:52 Hammad). She used ethos (credibility or ethical appeal), because she talked about her home country, and where she was from. She was credible to talk about the palestinian people, because she herself is from there. She was born there, and by being born there she uses Aristotle's ethos or credibility. Hammed also uses pathos, or emotion when she preaches out about her brother, and exclaims that she is so sick of people asking what navy her brother is in. She is an American, and there are many people that stereotype her daily.What Hammad is arguing about is the fact that America isn't the only country that gets bombed, and people need to realize what is going on in the world, and not just in America. She uses poetry to try and inform the people, her audience, or whoever is listening that people seem to only care about what is going on in America, and they need to realize how there are serious problems going on in the world around us.I believe that this poem was very effective, because it made me think differently than I usually do. Hammad allowed me, and a lot of others to take a step back and think about what is going on in the whole world, not just the country in which I reside. Her true emotions showed, and you could tell she strongly believed in what she was preaching.

Suheir Hammad uses poetry and beautiful words to make her argument real and descriptive. She very strongly used pathos, playing on people’s emotions to make a very clear distinction that the stereotype of being a terrorist shown towards any and all Arab people is not only unfair, but also very infuriating for these people. “One more person ask me if I knew the hijackers. One more mother fucker ask me what navy my brother is in. one more person assume no Muslims or Arabs were killed” is one quote she has showing her own distain for these racist stereotypes. By showing her own anger about this issue, Suheir gives personality to her argument. She also tries to make these Arab and Palestinian people look like the everyday people they are by describing her brothers. “Their faces are of the Arab man. All eyelashes and nose and beautiful color and stubborn hair”.

To show how unfair these stereotypes are, she shared some other terrorist acts such as The Oklahoma City Bomber. “We did not vilify white people when they bombed Oklahoma”, referring to when caucasian Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people with a car bomb. Also, she makes reference to white supremacist saying “When we talk about holy books, hooded men, and death, why never mention the KKK”. Ms. Hammad very clearly points out that there are many terrorist acts that have taken place in America that were committed by people with no affiliation to an Arab nation.

Suheir Hammad’s performance of “First Writing Since” hit home with many different Americans. She spoke about a very important day in American history in a very serious tone with a very heart felt intent. Hammad’s use of logos, ethos and pathos was very apparent throughout the entire speech. She used logos when saying “these are my friends and fam, me in those buildings and we’re not bad people, do not support America’s bullying,” (Hammad). Here she relates to the American’s who aren’t apart of how other countries view us as bullies. She reasons with the majority of America who are the little men in this country who have no effect on what goes on with war and our countries technicalities. She uses ethos when she states “one more person assume no arabs or muslims were killed, assume they know me or that I represent a people or that a people represent an evil,” (Hammad). This definitely appeals to the speaker in this case. Hammad belongs to a race that was harshly judged after the attacks of 9/11 and people looked at that foreign descent much differently after that day. When she said this she was speaking of how people assumed she had some form or relation to the attacks after they happened, just because she resembled some of the attackers culture. Hammad relates to her audience when she says “and when we talk about holy books, hooded men and death, why never mention the KKK,” (Hammad). This is an example of how she uses pathos, after Hammad makes this point you hear a strong crowd reaction. The audience from time to time would clap after strong points were made and thats how you can tell she made her argument to her audience.
Hammad used a form of poetry to make her argument about this sad day in American history. She spoke with rhythm and emotion that kept her audience engaged and attentive. Her passion was felt through her speech, making the argument toward how different races got terrible judgement after the events of 9/11. I feel that she was persuasive in proving her points and I think a lot of that has to do with the reality and truths found in all of her arguments that she made.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

After watching Suheir Hammad's video on her literature, it was very eye popping to me. I felt like I connected with this because it is a very touchy subject to most American's and people not only in America but in the world can relate to this video. I still remember where I was when this tragic event occurred and for her to go in such depth with her details and the words she choose to describe the buildings falling down in the city was a key point that I picked up on. One of her quotes that put a horrible image in my mind was when she said “smoke where once was flesh" (Hammad). This quote was mind blowing because to think of such a thing in downtown New York in America is just crazy, I still can't believe it happened and that it has been ten years now. When she was speaking, it showed the audience and it showed different ages', different types of race, and people from different backgrounds so I believe that it appeals to mostly anyone who watches this or has a heart. The way she told her poem added another angle on how she wanted to get what she wanted to say across and I feel like that had an impact on me, the way she used pauses, looked into the audience and you could feel the pain but also strength in her voice. It was touching. Also, another part that was impacting on me was when she started to talk about the other countries (Hammad 1:31) violence and how they don't get the publicly that America does or support from other countries to help out when a tragedy happens over there. It made me feel bad for the kids over there and I feel the struggle that they are going through. But, it also made me think of how proud I am to say that I am American and how it is an honor to live over here.

Suheir Hammad shows all of the pain she is carrying in her "First Writing Since." The logos she uses, facts such as when she says, "last night Bush waged war on a man once openly funded by the cia" (Hammad 3.13). The information she includes are relative to the nation, but because of them, there were very personal effects on her own city. Hammad's ethos, or credibility comes from her identity with the city, that she "[has] never felt less american, and more new yorker" (Hammad 4.03). Because she has this connection with the city, her words have more meaning, or credibility to those who are listening, as the images she relates are a part of her emotional struggle.
Hammad uses, of Aristotle's rhetorical appeals, pathos most profoundly. The emotion in her poem relates the hurt and anger towards racism; the despair and heartache for those who have lost loved ones; and the concern and sympathy for not only the people she knows, but those who are strangers, those who are hurting. She says, "i don't know what to think. but I know for sure who will pay. in the world, it will be women, mostly colored and poor. women will have to bury children, and support themselves through grief. 'either you are with us, or with the terrorists'" (Hammad 3.34). This conveys the awfulness of what mothers have to go through, to bury their children and endure the agony that comes with it. It also shows that races are treated with prejudice: "one more person assume they know me, or that i represent a people. or that a people represent an evil. or that evil is as simple as a flag and words on a page" (Hammad 2.21).

This video was very emotional. I could tell that she was building up a lot of anger in her life in her life and it seems as if all the anger was post 9/11.What made her poem so affective and appealing was that she used ethos, pathos, and logos. She used the emotion sense by making the audience empathize with her issues and problems dealing with race and stereotypes and how hard it is for her to live her life normally.When she was speaking about how her brother was in the Navy and how he was Arabic also and how that equaled double trouble and when people assumed that she knew the hijackers on 9/11 and they assumed that she represented all of the Arabic and Muslim people, that really affected me because I use to have those same issues. Being African American I sometimes get that stereotype of being loud, obnoxious, and "ghetto". I totally understood why Suheir was angry , because its not fair to get singled out and get judged based on what others from your same race has done. I feel like just because a select few make decisions and sometimes do things to harm others they don't represent the entire group of people and that just because certain people look alike the shouldn't be grouped as a whole, because everyone is different. I could tell that the audience was moved and they were on the same page with her when she said, " We didn't vilify the white men when they bombed Oklahoma". That's because the media chooses who they want to pick on. they usually choose minorities to make out to be the bad guys. which isn't fair at all! She also made the crowd emotional not in a since of sadness but in a sense of anger when she said " when we talk about the holy book, hooded man", we don't ever speak of the KKK. She is absolutely right and it just goes to show that once again minorities are made out to be the bad guys ! All in all this was a great poem and it was very affective. it made me think, and it also made me realize how corrupt this world actually is !

In the video “First Writing Since” Hammad’s exemplifies many stances of ethos, pathos and locos. Hammad did a great job showing a lot of emotion through out here poem, the audience was very into the whole poem and I feel that emotion (pathos) is what kept the audience engaged. This particular quote stuck me emotionally, “no prose in truck driving debris and DNA, evident out my window in abstract reality, sky where once was steal, smoke where once was flesh”(Hammad 0:19). This struck me as very emotional; it paints a vivid image in my head of debris and mangled metal. It also helps illustrate just how much destruction happened on this dark day in United States history. She used ethos when talking about no matter who you were, Muslim, black, or white your heart hurt that day. And I think that there was a lack of locos.

I think that Hammad did use poetry to support her argument. She used many examples of people and how stereotypical they can be. I think that he argument was that just because she is Muslim doesn’t mean that she had any other part in 9-11. She also was hurt on 9-11 she lost loved ones. She is of Muslim decent but she is an American and should not be persecuted because of skin tone. I find her argument to be very persuasive because she used great examples and other stories to show how she should not be singled out and how it is not fair to judge people or make false accusations at people.

Suheir Hammad's Poem was very touching because it put us almost in the scene like we were there using pathos, ethos, and logos. While explaining a scene where she asked a women if she needed help she said "..I put my hand to my head and my head to the dead Iraq children" (1.23 Hammad). This shows ethos and logos because it shows how she is very intrigued with this issue and wants to help in any way that she can. She affects her audience because of her strong points and it gets the audience going and they take her side. She used many examples of pathos but this one really jumped out to me "a women crying in a car parked and stranded I offered comfort a hand she did not see before she said "were gonna burn them so bad"...(Hammad 1.18). This goes to show that at the time it was scary and this is a great example of pathos because it puts a scary image in my head. She had a strong argument that just because she is from the same place as the terrorist doesn't mean she is just like them and she stated she dislike Bin Laden. She is very strong at stating her point and her opinion and it definitely made me side with her. In my opinion us Americans shouldn't assume she had a connection with the attack just because of her nationality and that's what makes her so mad and that's the point she is trying to cross to us. And I definitely side with her, she had a very strong argument.

Suheir Hammad's poem almost made me cry as I was listening to it, i felt that it could have a strong impact on almost anyone who watches it. While listening to her poem, I analyzed it through Aristotle's rhetorical appeals, logos, ethos, and pathos. You can tell very quickly that Suheir Hammad was able to appeal to her audience on the pathos side easily. There were many different ethnic groups there listening to her poem and as you watch the audience you can tell every one of them is affected by her poem. Her poem gives a vivid image of what happened on September 11, 2011, an example of this was when she says, "...sky where once was steal, smoke where once was flesh." (Hammad 0:34). Just listening to that you get an image in your head of where the towers and people inside them once were and now it is no more. Ethos and Logos are also used in her poem as well. An example of this is when she says, "My hand went to my head and my head to the dead Iraqi children, the dead in Nicaragua and Rwanda who vied with fake sport wrestling for America's attention"(Hammad 1:20). She is clearly knowledgeable about this issue and she is caring about that issue trying to prove to others that we need to stop paying attention to just what's happening in America and pay attention to other countries too.
I found her to be very persuasive and I agreed with her argument. I feel that anyone who listens to this will relate to her in some way, even if in the beginning you're convinced you won't be you will end up relating to some form of her poem, just by the way she speaks she captures the audience attention. I think that her argument was that Bin Laden and all the people involved in blowing up the twin towers do not represent her as a person or even her as an Arab. Those people are their own person and she is also her own person and just because they are the same nationality and their skin color is the same doesn't mean they are relate-able at all. I also think she wants Americans to realize this too, and it makes her angry because she has no involvement and lives in America but they just assume she knows things about it because of her nationality which is very ignorant of Americans in general. I think that Suheir Hammad's poem is very persuasive and she makes many points that everyone can relate to.

The poem "First Writing Since" recited by Suheir Hammad was extremely powerful. She most definitely used ethos, pathos, and logos to get her voice to be heard, processed, and perhaps most importantly, understood by the audience.
Throughout her poem, there are many instances where Suheir Hammad utilizes ethics, emotion, and logic. The ethics, or ethos, that she uses come out clearly when she says: "God, please, don't let it be anyone who looks like my brothers" (Hammad). With this statement, she is first saying that she believes in God, and second that she knows there are stereotypes out there when it comes to people of middle eastern origin and terrorism. Pathos was clearly applied the entire time she was on stage reciting the poem. She gives a clear sense that she is very emotional about the subject based on the language she uses. She sometimes cusses, which blatantly shows she feels very strongly about the topic and views she is trying to convey. She uses logos to contradict the idea that a good amount of people believe that because of the way someone looks, they have certain goals, like terrorism for instance. She goes on to say: "...assume they know me, or that I represent a people, or that a people represent an evil..." (Hammad). This statement is Hammad saying that just because there are some Palestinian or middle eastern people who are terrorists, doesn't mean that they all are. She also points out that a lot of people are ignorant of the fact that just because it was middle eastern people who did it, doesn't mean there weren't middle eastern people that were working in the World Trade Center, for instance, when the attack happened. She points out the innocent people of middle eastern background who were killed. This argument is the sole reason I find this poem to be so persuasive. It really does make you think twice about stereotypes you may have towards a certain group.

After watching “First Writing Since” it was clear that there were several points when she used logos, ethos and pathos. I saw how she used logos because she really got her point across to the audience. She was very emotional and passionate when she was speaking and from looking at the audience, you can tell that she connected with them. The main point of her poem is how unfair America can be when it comes to people of color and how horrible the stereotypes are. A quote that proves this is when she said “One more person ask me if I knew the hijackers, one more mother f***** asks me what Navy my brother is in..” This quote suggests that just because she is Palestinian she knows everything about terrorism. I saw how she used ethos because she made several points about the war going on today. Her credibility was never doubted throughout her poem because she was presenting facts within her argument. “Bush has waged war on a man once openly funded by the CIA, I’ve read too many books to believe what I’m told.” This quote shows that she has a valid argument because she has done her research on what her poem is talking about. I saw how she used pathos when the camera showed the audience. You saw how moved the audience was, especially the woman who was so touched by this poem she cried. She also used pathos by giving the audience a visual image of the war going on and when she was talking about when the twin towers were hit. I do believe that she uses poetry to make an argument of how stereotypical people can be. I definitely find her to be persuasive because she not only speaks with so much emotion but what she is saying I agree with. I believe that in America we do stereotype people way too much. If a girl is raped, we automatically assume that the attacker was African American, if something goes wrong at an air port we assume the person is Islamic or Palestinian. I think she presents a great argument because she gives several examples of personal experiences to back up her argument.

#8 Suheir Hammad "First Writing Since"

Suheir Hammad is definitely using poetry to make her argument and she was very persuasive in doing so. The logos appeal is to tell us the wrongness of killing, of racism, of "assuming that a people represent evil" (Hammad). She points out the false logic of someone asking her if she knew who the 9/11 attackers were just because of her heritage. Her thesis is stated at the very end, saying "You're either with life or against it. Affirm life" (Hammad). Her ethos is evident in her message as she speaks clearly and powerfully, with a genuine plea to the audience, telling us "I've read too many books to believe what I'm told". Hammad's appeal to our pathos is in the pictures she creates in our minds of skyscrapers falling, transforming to smoke, of the injustice of 9/11 being no different than what was happening on the West Bank and Gaza. She talks about her love and fear for her brothers, a family love with which we can all identify.
I felt extremely "persuaded" by this poem, by Hammad's pictures she put into my mind, by her strong voice, and by the overall message that is left with me after listening. When she told us "I have never been so hungry that I willed hunger", it struck me that the people in this world who are killing and causing such incredible hurt, must be so intensely hurt themselves in order to wish such pain on others. Affirming life is essential, and needs to be taught and practiced by all peoples.

While watching Suheir Hammad i noticed how she used ethos, pathos, and logos. I noticed the use of ethos because she was very passionate about what she was saying. She was very persuasive while reciting her poem especially when she said "We did not vilify white men when they bombed Oklahoma" (Hammad 2:32). Her whole point in her poem is that her and her people are all associated with Osama Bin Laden and the terrorists of 9/11, when they did nothing wrong. She is saying that when white men commit a crime all white people are not associated with them and it is unfair. You can tell by watching this video Suheir Hammad uses pathos, because of the emotion in her voice. When she speaks she speaks with passion. She also uses logos in her poem. She reasons with the people in the audience but especially when she says " I don't give a f*** about Bin Laden, his vision of the world don't represent me, or those i love" (Hammad 3:29). I think that's when her audience really got involved and really started listening to what she said.
I find Suheir Hamad very persuasive, because she speaks with emotion, like she actually cares about what she is saying. She shows power when she speaks. I thought the audience found her persuasive too, because they clapped and screamed for her arguments. She reasoned with her audience which made them respond to her more. I think she had a strong argument because a lot of people agree with her.

I thought Suheir Hammad’s speech was beautiful. I got the chills just watching and listening to what she had to say. While listening to her poem I analyzed it using Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals pathos, logos and ethos. Suheir does a great job getting her audience of many races to feel the pathos side of her poem. She used the most vivid descriptions from September 11, 2001. Hammad mentions, “My hand went to my head and head to the dead Iraqi children the dead in Nicaragua and Rwanda” (Hammad 1:21). Ethos and logos are also utilized in her poem, “One more person ask me if I know the hijackers... assume they know me or that I represent a people” (Hammad 2:09). The point she gets across with this statement is that she gets looked down upon just because of her ethnicity that maybe she knew personally who did this to the United States, twin towers, families and loved ones. The main points in her poem come across with pathos, it is what goes to heart to all of her audience and what gets the main message noticed.

To me, she does make a huge argument with her poem; the whole poem expresses what feelings, thinking and reasoning she believes in. When she is speaking you feel as if you relate, even if you don’t, by the way she is passionate about what she is expressing to her audience. To me her argument is that Bin Laden does not represent her terrorists do not represent her; the people that wanted to kill thousands do not represent her. He is one person who represents himself and himself only. I find her argument to be beyond persuasive she makes many good points and uses many emotions to make her point.

While
watching Suheir Hammad’s performance of “First Writing Since” I noticed she
utilized logos, ethos, and pathos to affect her audience. She uses pathos most
frequently as she continually speaks about the way she and other people felt on
September 11, 2001. She uses ethics as she criticizes the things that happened
and the decisions that were made whether they were good or bad. I found it
really impressive how she was able to appeal to such a wide audience. There
were so many different races of people in the audience and it was clear that
she affected all of them. She states that although she is Muslim and possesses
the same looks as the 9/11 assassins, that does not mean she is the same as
them.

I found it
really powerful when she says “And when we talk about holy books, hooded men,
and death, why never mention the KKK?” I think she is relating this to the
stereotype people have now that all
middle-eastern people are out to get Americans. People have forgotten that it
was Americans that killed their own people because of racial issues (the KKK).
It is clear that she appeals to people’s emotions as people are showed crying
in the audience, or when they clap when she says something they are passionate
about.

I think her
argument in her poetry is to “affirm life” as she states multiple times towards
the end. She says, “after the rubble and rhetoric are clear and the phoenix has
risen, affirm life” maybe meaning that after all of the conflict and after we
are all strong again and peaceful, everything is going to be okay and that life
is good. She is very persuasive in her poetry in my opinion and definitely
utilizes pathos, ethos, and logos throughout her entire poem.

I believe that Suheir Hammad spoke a beautiful poem that not only shook my heart, but many others as well. She spoke from personal experience, letting us in on her feelings and emotions. She said "Even as a woman, a Palestinian, never this broken" (Hammad 0:57). We can tell very clearly from the beginning that her poem is loaded with pathos, she speaks directly from her heart and explains what went on through her head as the planes crashed through the twin towers many years ago. As an American citizen I feel she is automatically credible. We all experienced that event and know from the news, our parents, pictures, and stories, all about the incident; through personal knowledge referenced in her video she exemplifies ethos. "We did not vilify white men when McVeigh bombed Oklahoma" (Hammad 2:30). She uses direct examples from history to move her point across and by doing so she utilizes logos. Although it is a very pathos based poem, there are clear examples throughout that demonstrate both ethos and logos. I think that Hammad most definitely makes a point through poetry. By using strong examples and personal experiences she really pushes the listener to understand her point of view on the war. She states "One more person assume no arabs or muslims were killed" (Hammad 2:16) and "And when we talk about holy books and hooded men and death, why do we never mention the kkk?" (Hammad 2:55). These two quotes really portray that she is against the war and how America sides with the whites and goes against the colored even when white men are also at fault. She is a woman of color and in this video she explains the pain that she goes through because of that.

I get goose bumps as Hammad reads her poem.I felt that Hammad’s poem was very insightful and touching for different reasons. As her poem begin she reads, “Please God let it be a mistake, the pilots heart, the planes engine” (Hammad 0:33).For every person who lived in the United States on September 11th 2001, this pulls a heartstring.By using such vivid pathos from that day, Hammad appeals to the audience of the entire US nation. As her poem progresses and she explains her story of being a Muslim of this time period she motivates people of color.After the tragedy she explains, “One more person asked me if I know the highjackers … Assume they know me, or that I represent a people” (Hammad 2:09-2:22).Her choice of words uses both ethos and pathos to describe her oppressed viewpoint.She explains how often people of a specific race are looked upon as all the same. There are not many facts or logos she can use to describe her poem.What she is speaking about is an emotional journey without any data or numbers, so the omission of logos is acceptable.

I definitely believe that Hammad turns her poetry into her side of an argument surrounding the war.Although she does not show the other side of the argument, her descriptions of the other acts of violence in the US and how she disagrees with them, introduces an argument.She brings up the argument, “And when we talk about holy books, hooded men and death why never mention the KKK” (Hammad 2:56).This resonates specifically in people of color but also calls out whites for their flaws.Its as if she is arguing against the entire Caucasian community.Not only has she felt personally persecuted to make her argue but she realizes how bias many people are for assuming all Muslims are terrorists.She is fighting for her rights as an American citizen and to be treated no differently than any other white citizen.

Monday, September 26, 2011

While reading the Pearson book, I found a lot of useful information on important elements of an exploratory essay. The first important thing I came across was “formulating a starting point” (Pearson 110). I found this to be most important because an essay is based around a main idea or topic. Without writing about a problem that you are interested in as a writer, your essay will most likely not be interesting to the reader. “Instead of a single, focused question, you might start with a whole cluster of related questions swimming in your head” (Pearson 110). This, in my opinion, creates a more intriguing argument and a better essay overall.

Another element of an exploratory essay I found to be important is the section talking about “taking ‘double-entry’ research notes” (Pearson 111). This describes taking “notes in which you use one column for taking notes on a source and another column for recording your own thinking about the source” (Pearson 11). I believe this is an important part in developing a good exploratory essay because taking notes with your own opinions and thoughts about the actual facts creates personality in your essay, not just generic facts you find in reading during research. This could also be considered mixing closed and open prose, creating a better exploratory essay.

I also think it’s important to “keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions of points of view” (Pearson 107). If you settle too early on a thesis without debating both sides, the reader of your essay will most likely loose interest quickly because there is nothing to consider. You should “go beyond the initial answer to think of alternatives” (Pearson 107) in order to maintain a good argument throughout your essay. After questioning the problem and examining different perspectives, you may even come to find that you changed your views on the topic by analyzing it thoroughly.

While reading these two chapters I noticed that there are many important elements to writing an exploratory essay. One that caught my eye was "Contrasting Angle Of vision in Two Texts". This is because we all do this and don't really notice it. One side will be against and one will be for it. For example it says "select details that support your intentions; omit or de-emphasize others" (Ramage, Bean Johnson 54). This is basically saying that do what you have to do to prove your side right. Sometimes this will get interesting because of the things people say. It is doing what it takes to persuade your side right.

In chapter 5 I found the section "What Makes College-Level Reading Difficult" pretty interesting. This is because awhile back in one of my classes we were learning that students aren't prepared for college says professors but the teachers think we are. Now here is more things that is siding with the professors. It says college level readings are more difficult because we have lack of background knowledge. "Writing usually make assumptions about what their readers already know" (Ramage, Bean, Johnson 95). I totally agree with this, most writers will ramble on about a particular subject thinking we know it. They should explain a little bit about it then go on with what they have to say about it.

The last element I found interesting was "Strong Response as Reflection". This is basically saying that "this invites you to connect the reading to your own personal experiences, beliefs, and values" (Ramage, Bean, Johnson 108). This is true because the instructor is interested in how the story affected you personally. This allows you to be open-minded and musing.

In chapters 3 and 5 in the Pearson text book there were many hotspots that caught my eye. The first one was in the section entitled Thought Exercise on Angle of Vision.This section talked about how one experience can turn into multiple different stories depending on who you tell the story to. The example they used was going to a party and the next day two people ask you about it. One is your best friend and the other is a parent. I found this very interesting because it is obvious I would tell a different story to my parents than my best friend. It was exciting for me to think about what kind of story would come out with other people asking me about it and I came to the conclusion that the story could have gone and infinite amount of ways depending on the situation as I am telling it.

Another are I found interesting was in the beginning of chapter 5 when the author attempts to define an exploratory essay. “An exploratory essay narrates a writer’s thinking process while doing research. The essay recounts your attempt to examine your question’s complexity, explore alternatives, and arrive at a solution or answer,” (Pearson 105).I found this interesting because I have never had to write and exploratory essay and never really knew what one is. In high school we were forced to write research papers each year. I feel if the paper was structured like an exploratory essay it would have been a lot easier to do and also a lot more fun. It sounds like an exploratory essay is a lot less structured that a research paper.

My first and favorite point i read in the Pearson's Text was having a good beginning point to draw in the reader. One of my first composition teachers stated this, and I always tried to follow it. If you can capture the reader at the start, they will want to read the rest of it, helping make your composition much better. Capturing the reader is one of the most important things you can do, because even if your essay gets better, they might not read to the good part if they're not interested. It's like watching TV, and turning it off if it starts slow or boring.
Going hand in hand with my first point, my second is keeping the reader interested during the whole essay. I'm not a big reader, but when something captures my interest, I want to read it. The reason I'm giving such emphasis to entertaining the reader is that even if you write a well structure, informative essay, if it is boring, no one will read it. I realize there is much more the writing itself, but the captivation of the reader is one of the key elements in writing a good essay.
My third point is to not get off topic, and stick to the topic you are trying to explain. I bet that I'm not the only one who has trouble getting off topic when writing one of those big essays. When you beginning to swerve in and out of the main idea, you start making your point less relevant your trying to make. Writing an outline can help a lot, but most of us just start writing when we have to write an essay. In all, staying on topic and keeping the reader entertained are the key points i took from the Pearson's Text.

As the Pearson text explains, there are many different key factors to writing an exploratory essay. One that I quickly found in chapter 5 was "The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view" (Pearson 107). I did not know what an exploratory essay even was before reading this chapter and I feel like that gave a good explanation in a simple sentence. It is important to keep the reader interested throughout the essay by demonstrating different view points. A second important element to writing a good exploratory essay that I found is "Instead of a single, focused question, you might start with a whole cluster of related questions swimming in your head" (Pearson 110). This is good to think about because it explains that when we start our paper we do not want to think of just one question. It will make for a better paper if, while were beginning our paper, we think of multiple questions that all focus on our subject of writing. That way we can have a broad group of research that is all different, yet all related. Lastly, there is revising, which is important with all writing, but viewed differently for exploratory essays. It says in the text "When they revise, their major concern is to improve their essay's interest level by keeping it focused and lively. Often drafts need to be pruned to remove extraneous details and keep the pace moving" (Pearson 115). With most papers we focus on organization and grammar during revising. However, by the time of revising for an exploratory essay, that should already be taken care of. By the time of editing, what's left to be focused on is the actual text, keeping the reader focused and the paper on topic.

There are quite a few important elements to an exploratory essay. The first one that I read was, “The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view” (Rammage, Bean, and Johnson 155). This is like the “believing and doubting” game as we discussed earlier. You need to identify all sorts of viewpoints so you can come to conclusions and solutions to every question possible. This broadens the type of readers that will want to explore what you have to say.

The second important element I found about writing an exploratory essay was about formulating from a starting point. You need to start with a really “grabber”. “The goal of your introduction is to hook your reader’s interest in your chosen problem” (Rammage, Bean, and Johnson 158). This is very important I believe because the hook is what riels people in for the long hall. When a reader begins to read an essay the hook decides whether or not they will keep reading out of interest or set it down right away. An introduction needs to be something that you yourself is interested in and that others will be interested as well or even question what you have to say to give an argument.

The third element that stuck out to me about an exploratory essay would be about the “Double-Entry”. This tool seems to be very helpful for such essays, “… ‘double-entry’ notes in which you use one column for taking notes on a source and another column for recording your own thinking about the source” (Rammage, Bean and Johnson 159). Using this kid of research notes could help you construct a better research essay such as one like this. It will get you thinking on all the information you formulate from your research studies into what you really think it means or what its importance is.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

While reading Pearson'sI found many important elements in the essay that was written and would be good for advice for writing your own paper. First, I noticed about how personal experiences influence your writing weather you want it too or not. Many write about topics that they can relate to or have examples towards because it is easier to write while relating things to what has happened in your own life. One point that I found was eye catching to me was “The goal of your introduction is to hook your reader’s interest in your chosen problem”(Mercury 110). This is always taught in the middle school's and when you grow up writing papers but I would have to agree that most people can descide or judge a paper in the first paragraph if not the first sentence. Another point that I came across is "effective exploratory writing is to create a tension between alternative views”(Reader 108). I thought this was interesting because for me it has always been difficult to find alternative views to back up your writing. This statement is true and is hard to do while you write essay's and I thought it is one area where I need to work on so I thought this was talking to me. Lastly, I thought that when he said "major concern is to improve their essay's interest level by keeping it focused and lively" was a great point that was stated because I feel like revising is a key part of a person's writing and can make or break a paper if it is taken serious enough.

One of the hot spots i found while reading The Pearson text chapters 3 and 5 was “Keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view” (Reader 107). One of the important things while writing an exploratory essay is asking questions instead of writing a thesis. By asking questions you can keep the essay more interesting and intriguing the the reader. The audience can decide how they want to interpret the paper instead of you telling them what is going on in the paper. Another hot spot i found was "The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view"(Ramage, Bean, Johnson 107). I think this is one of the smartest things you can keep in mind while writing an essay. Multiple solutions keeps the audience guessing. If i know the end to something before i read it i don't find the essay interesting and i immediately tune out. When reading an essay i find it more intriguing when there are multiple points of view. I enjoy hearing from different people and points of view in the essay. The last hot spot i found was "Instead of doing your research then beginning to write, “Your exploratory essay records the history of your researching and thinking process” (Reader 113). In high school i was taught to do the opposite, that is why this quote stuck out to me. Before i would start a paper i would have to write an outline and bring in the books i found my research in and show them to my teacher. I did not enjoy this because i found it more helpful to do research while writing my paper.

Not “asserting a thesis too soon” was the first important element of an exploratory essay that I found from our reading (Ramage 105). The book claims that this will help keep the writers mind open to the idea that their first hypothesis on their topic may be incorrect and allows them to change their opinion as the paper builds with the discovery of new information and I would completely agree. In high school the first thing my teachers wanted was a nice, good, strong thesis statement, but I can’t even count how many times I would be actually doing some real research and would stumble across sources contradicting my thesis, which of course, I would exclude entirely form my paper. I definitely like the idea of a delayed thesis.

The second element of an exploratory essay that I found was in the third chapter on page 48. We already discussed it a little in class but recognizing who your audience is and adjusting the angle of vision to paint a specific picture for whoever you’re trying to reach. The Pearson English Reader used the example of describing a party to your parents and then to your best friend (Ramage 48). Most people would definitely have different key events and stories to share with the respective audience.

Taking “Double-Entry” research notes was another important tool I found. This is basically where somebody makes two columns and in the first they write the raw information they found form their source in the second they write their opinion on the information and how it’s changed their original thoughts and predictions. I feel like doing this would also help someone retain the info they find and understand it better by thinking and recording how it effects their original hypothesis.

There are many important elements in an exploratory essay. The first one that I stumbled upon was about formulation a starting point. The first then that you need to do is find a problem that is in going to be interesting to you and whom ever is going to be reading your essay.Then you will be able to start writing your first draft of your introduction. “The goal of your introduction is to hook your reader’s interest in your chosen problem”(Mercury 110). This is important because without a good hook it will be impossible to keep the attention of your reader. Make sure your introduction is something that the reader can relate you. Introduce questions that will provoke your reader to think critically.

The second important element that I found was about revising. “When they revise, their major concern is to improve their essay’s interest level by keeping it focused and lively”(115).Instead of revising just to improve grammar and check for miss spelled words, good writers dig deep into the paper and see what they can add or take out wile still keeping a strong interesting focus. Often they will take things out such as extraneous details to keep the piece moving, and often introductions can be sharpened. Also when you peer review with other classmates, you will get a lot of valuable feedback that will benefit your paper. When you are revising make sure that you stay accurate with your markings and what each marking means and make sure that you are using appropriate citations.

The last important element that I found was “give your draft both open-form and closed form features” (113).This is important because exploratory papers are narratives, which means that there following an open-form structure. Also paragraphs should have chronological transitions. The writer should start each paragraph with a transition like “I started” or “After that”.

One important element of an exploratory essay is to maintain the attention of your audience.To do this, we must not settle for our original thesis rather, “Keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view” (Reader 107). As the paper progresses, different perspectives on the subject should be described. In doing this, you will prove yourself to be more broad-minded.It will give your subject depth and clarity as it becomes interesting to different audiences.

While viewing your subject with different lenses, “The key to effective exploratory writing is to create a tension between alternative views” (Reader 108).You must let the research you have done guide your viewpoint.It’s somewhat like playing the believing and doubting game.You should let the different points of view fight over your opinion as you critique and compliment each one.You start off with one opinion then a piece of research persuades you and you’re on that side and it becomes an argument.You must fill your paper with tension between the different viewpoints.

Instead of doing your research then beginning to write, “Your exploratory essay records the history of your researching and thinking process” (Reader 113). Another important element of an exploratory essay is to describe your research in a chronological order.So maybe at first you had a very shallow opinion on the subject, this will be documented at the beginning of your essay.As you become more educated you then explain how your view has been changed.It is important to make the contrast between exploratory essays and say, a five-paragraph essay because within exploratory essays it is not only okay but also mandatory that your viewpoint changes as the paper progresses.

In chapter five, I found three important elements of an exploratory essay: explaining multiple possibilities/angles so the reader is not caught following a single idea; expressing the thinking process that occurs during research; and revise to keep the essay clear and concise, yet interesting.
"The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of views...The thinker resists closure--that is, resists settling too soon on a thesis" (Rammage, Bean, and Johnson 107). Following this, readers have the opportunity to come to their own conclusions, while being lead down a thought path that the writer creates. For this reason, it is important for several points of view to be expressed to show the benefits and downfalls of the possibilities.

Rammage, Bean, and Johnson say,"...the goal when writing with an exploratory aim is to reproduce the research and thinking process, taking the readers on the same intellectual and emotional journey you have just traveled" (Rammage, Bean, and Johnson 113). It is important to show the readers the thought process you go through so they can clearly understand and make connections from one thought to another.

Lastly, revising makes a phenomenal difference. The essay may be well thought out, and have an emotional appeal, but it might run too long, leaving the readers with a growing detachment and straying thoughts. Therefore, "when [writers] revise, their major concern is to improve their essay's interest level by keeping it focused and lively. Often drafts need to be pruned to remove the extraneous details and keep the pace moving...achieve the right balance between summarizing sources and showing the evolution of [their] own thinking" (Rammage, Bean, and Johnson 115).

As I began reading the first thing I noticed about an exploratory essay is that you have to create a tension between alternative views. When you start out you might not know where your thinking process will end up but when you start using the statement, "I used to think... , but now I think.." your writing becomes a process of inquiry and discovery. I agree with this because when you begin to think of things in different ways you may completely change your opinion about an issue once you give it more thought from both sides. They later go on to say, "These same dialect thinking habits can be extended to research writing where the researcher's goals are to find alternative points of view on the research question." (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 108), this I can agree with because it forces you to look at all points of view, not just your own. I can also relate to this because when I have had to write a paper that gives both points of view on an issue I have ended up changing my own view on it because it makes you look at it in a whole new way. One of the other hot spots that stood out to me was the evaluative annotation in a bibliography. I like how in an evaluative annotation of a bibliography you can critique the work and include comments on it, which normally help the reader. Annotated bibliographies serve many important functions, one of the most important things is it, "...engages researchers in exploratory thinking by requiring that they read sources rhetorically like experts, entering critically into scholarly conversations" (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 116). They can also be valuable time saving tolls for new researchers in the field. All of this is important because it forces the researcher to think rhetorically about the bibliographies instead of allowing their own view to get in the way.

After reading chapters three and five of the Pearson Reader, I discovered many important factors that go into writing an exploratory essay. The first element that struck me as interesting was that "The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view" (Rammage, Bean, Johnson 107). This is something that I think improves an essay by making it flow more like a recollection of the knowledge and experiences of the writer instead of just revealing the facts on an issue in short sentences that don't have much feeling behind them. It's also something that I feel like I struggle with. It's so easy to establish a thesis and then present examples to support it that I often find it difficult to explore different solutions to a thesis.
Another element of the exploratory essay that I liked was that open-form and closed-form prose are both used. "Because your exploratory paper is a narrative, it follows an unfolding, open-form structure… at the same time, your summaries of your sources and your strong responses to them should be framed within closed-form structures," (Rammage, Bean, Johnson 113). This is kind of neat because you are able to create an essay filled with expression, personality, and informalities while still maintaining an organized structure that follows a definite pattern of topic sentences and transitions and remains formal to an extent.
The annotated bibliographies also proved to be an interesting element in exploratory essays. While I have seen annotated bibliographies in readings, I've never had the opportunity to use them myself. I think that using this will be extremely helpful in writing my own exploratory essay it's provides the reader with the source of information so that I don't have to write out every detail in order for the reader to comprehend the topic.

The first element of an exploratory essay that I think is important is “The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or point of view” (Pearson 107). I think that this is an important element in exploratory writing because in order to keep your essay going you need to think of several different views in order to keep writing. You need to think of several outside opinions to the problem in order to write about solutions. The second element of an exploratory essay I think is important is “The key to effective exploratory writing is to create a tension between alternate views” (Pearson 108). I think that this in an important element in exploratory writing because creating tension between alternate views allows the writer to provide different angles to the problem. By showing two different angles of a problem, you are giving the reader two sides of the story instead of only one. When the reader is given two sides of the story, there are more ideas, opinions, and points that the reader can now think about.The third element of an exploratory essay I think is important is “In either case, the goal when writing with an exploratory aim is to reproduce the research and thinking process, taking the readers on the same emotional journey you have just traveled” (Pearson 113). I think that this is important when writing an exploratory essay because you need to connect with the readers. If you don’t connect with the readers your essay will not intrigue the reader and they will not be able to relate to your essay. I think this is an important part in writing an exploratory essay because the whole point in presenting your argument or problem is for the reader to read about and understand the point.

The first major element of writing an exploratory essay that I came across was: "The essential movie for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view" (Pearson 107). The reason I believe this is one of the most important elements to creating an exploratory essay is because you have to keep the oppositions point of view in mind to keep the reader interested. It's very easy to write an essay with a bias, but it gets more difficult when you take into account the opposition. This is always a great way to compose a much better essay.
The second element, to me, that is crucial to take into account when you're composing an exploratory essay is underneath the section entitled "Revising" in this chapter. "Often drafts need to be pruned to remove extraneous details and keep the pace moving" (Pearson 115). I personally believe revising may be the most important element in creating a successful and enticing essay. The revision of an essay can remove worthless things or even add more important facts that are critical to the essay as a whole.
The third and final element that I came across was the "Questions for Peer Review" section in this chapter. The question I found particularly important was: "In the introduction, how has the writer tried to show that the problem is interesting, significant, and problematic?" (Pearson 115). The reason I think this is the most important question is because the introduction isn't attention grabbing, the rest of the essay doesn't mean anything. A lot of times people will stop reading on account of a bad introduction.

Guinevere's blog #7, Exploratory Essay

In an exploratory essay the writer first tells of their question and its complexity. It is important to pose a problem that is not yet answered and carry the reader along in their mental questioning, keeping the tension of a sought after answer in mind throughout the essay. The essay itself does not need to give the reader the ultimate solution, but might just create more thought toward the said problem. "Your goal is not to answer your question but to report on the process of wrestling with it" (Allyn and Bacon 109).
The writer then gives us the opportunity of seeing alternative ways of looking at the situation. In doing this, the reader's perception can be expanded beyond just their own personal opinion, and the writer can also go beyond his/her own ideas as well. "The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view" (Allyn and Bacon 107).
In writing exploratory essays it is important to "show how you chose sources purposefully and reflectively rather than randomly" (Allyn and Bacon 109). This entails showing the reader our logical thought processes as we research our question topic. This can also include exposing our sources and the how one part of our research chronologically leads to a subsequent path of searching for our answer.

While reading chapters three and five in Pearson I came across several elements of an exploratory essay. The first element in which I came across was one of the main points on the first page. "Explore an issue and narrate your thinking process in an exploratory essay"(Ramage, Bean, Johnson 105). This is a well thought out statement, because when you write it is good to address an issue, and then tell the readers how you are thinking, so narrating your thinking process is generally what you do. While continuing to read chapter five in Pearson I came across another quote that stuck out to me. "The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view"(Ramage, Bean, Johnson 107). It is important when you are writing, especially for the reader to keep a problem alive, because when you do this it really keeps the reader very intrigued and involved in what he or she is reading. Another element of an exploratory essay that I came across was when Pearson exclaims, "The key to effective exploratory writing is to create a tension between alternative views"(Ramage, Bean, Johnson 108). This is my opinion is the most important element. When you write, especially an exploratory essay it is important to have two views. Not only do you wanna agree, but you wanna disagree. You should argue two sides, and have "alternative views". This is very important because it will keep the reader very involved, and give them two different sides to agree or disagree with. For example, Pearson explains, "Using a statement such as "I used to think..., but now I think" or "Part of me thinks this..., but another part thinks that..." forces you to find something additional to say; writing then becomes a process of inquiry and discovery. I really agree with this statement that Pearson makes, because when you write it is way more interesting when you have two different sides. This is a good example of it. The main purpose to write is to not only express your feelings, but to keep your reader involved.

When writing an exploratory essay, there are many important elements to consider during the writing process. After reading chapter five in The English Mercury Reader by John C. Bean, June Johnson and John D. Ramage, I noticed a few very key points in composing an exploratory essay. “The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view,” (Bean, Johnson and Ramage 107). I find this important because keeping a problem alive keeps a reader interested at all times. If you stray away from your point a reader may get lost in irrelevant thoughts. Another point I found important was about contrasting views, “the key to effective exploratory writing is to create a tension between alternative views,” (Bean, Johnson and Ramage 108). This to me also goes back to keeping a reader interested. Exploring different views not only lets the reader see different sides to a problem, but it lets the writer open up to alternative solutions to the problem at hand. This statement doesn’t only apply to writing exploratory essays, I feel like it applies to general life situations as well. If you only allow yourself to see one side you miss out on a lot of new experiences. The third key element I found important to an exploratory essay was “instead of a single, focused question, you might start with a whole cluster of related questions swimming in your head,” (Bean, Johnson and Ramage 110). When keeping this statement in mind, a writer won’t have to limit their essay to answering only one question. There is one problem that is being explored in the essay but answering multiple questions about the problem will allow a writer to truly explore all of the different angles to view a solution. All three of my points essentially relate back to keeping a reader interested by viewing a central problems at many different view points. These elements will always keep a reader interested and in my opinion it is very important to do so.

Friday, September 23, 2011

After reading chapter three of Guyland by Michael Kimmel, I found a lot of what he had to say about masculinity to be very thought provoking. One of the first statements I found to spark my interest was about men trying to impress me, “masculinity is largely a “homosocial” experience: performed for, and judged by, other men,” (Kimmel 47). When I first read this, I immediately thought of the group of guys my friends and I hung out with in high school. They were so worried about image, none of them ever wanted to look dumb in front of each other. It really annoyed me a lot of the time because I could tell they weren’t very sincere. It relates to this quote because boys do try to impress other boys just to keep or gain status. They need to look well in the eyes of other men, and then the women come along after that.
Kimmel later brings his passage to talking about violence associated with men and the results of the guy code. “Most guys are good guys, but that doesn’t lessen the reality of the violence that surrounds them,” (Kimmel 58). I completely agree with this part of the piece. This example shows how men are good, and that there are some out there that really do have good intentions. It is not fair for those who are good to have to be overshadowed by all the crime associated with the bad men in this world. Not saying there aren’t bad women, but from our activity in class, we can see that crime is more so associated with masculinity. I like the fact that Kimmel points out how men are good and men are bad, all we typically hear about is the bad, but at times it is refreshing to hear about how there are still good people around.

The first "hotspot" that I noticed in Chapter Three of Guyland by Michael Kimmel was the section entitled "Being a Man Among Men." This particular section of the reading really stuck out to me because most of these experiences that these 20-something year-old kids have had, I have also had. I grew up with two older brothers just like Drew from the reading. I feel like my older brothers most definitely shaped the person I am now. They way you are raised can easily shape the person you become, whether you are raised with brothers or raised with only sisters, the outcome is usually correlating to how you grew up. I can also relate to Don, the football player. "The first thing I think of is my coach" (Kimmel 47). I definitely agree with this statement as well. I played football in high school, and the most I can say about it is that it was both the most fun I've ever had, and sometimes humiliation from the coaches. A lot of times the coaches would get in your face, you just have to learn how to deal with it.

The second "hotspot" I ran across was the section entitled "Violence as Restoration." "Violence is how they [men] express all that disappointment" (Kimmel 55). This quote is extremely true for me. I couldn't tell you if it was the way I was raised or what, but I have an extremely short temper when it comes to a lot of things. A lot of times I will find myself getting mad at my girlfriend over absolutely nothing, realizing it later, and then feeling like a complete idiot. I obviously don't physically abuse her, but when I get heated, I begin to feel violent (wanting to hit things). I think it's a large part of just the nature of man.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

As I was reading "Bros Before Hos": The Guy Code I found multiple points that really stuck out to me. As a girl I don't realize the pressure that is put on guys to be masculine and how easy it is to be judged if they do one thing wrong. One quote that really struck me though is when he said "While women often become a kind of currency by which men negotiate their status with other men, women are for possessing, not for emulating" (Kimmel 47). I found this quote really appalling because we like to be treated right and with respect from men. If a guy treats us wrong to try and prove masculinity, he is not referred to by us as 'manly', he is known as an asshole or a 'douchebag' (sorry for the language). But really, in reality, acting tough is not the way to a girls heart, and we most definitely don't want to be known as your prize and possession.
A second hotspot that did not quite offend me, but rather I just found interesting is "When they turn to anger and violence it is because these, they believe, perhaps rightly, are the only acceptable forms of emotional expression allowed in them" (Kimmel 54). I found this interesting because I have a little brother and he always resorts to anger unless he is in the comfort of our home. Guys always act tough, and when they fail a test, get harped on by another guy, or have their heart broken, they resort to violence instead of tears in fear of judgement. There was a couple at my high school that had been dating for years and the girl broke up with him after school one day in our commons, the boy was so upset that he ended up crying. If he were at home it would not have been frowned upon, but when guys at school saw him crying, he was instantly and forever judged as a wimp. It saddens me that guys have to hide their emotions, but that seems to be reality.

While reading this article it made me think how hard it is for guys to show emotion. If a guy shows emotion such as crying he gets called gay, sissy, wuss and several other names. It almost seems unfair that girls are able to show any kind of emotion but guys are expected to be strong all the time. I understand that some guys like to be to “that guy.” The type of guy who never cries and acts strong 100% of the time. I agree with the author when he says “Masculinity is a constant test- always up for grabs, always needing to be proved” (Kimmel 51). I fully believe this statement because I feel like guys are always needing to prove how masculine they are. It’s almost like if they don’t show masculinity they are afraid that other males or females with think that they are gay. I think that guys care just as much as girls about how they present themselves to others. Guys never want people to think that they aren’t masculine. The second hot spot I found while reading this article was “Boys learn that their connection to mother will emasculate them, turn them into Mama’s Boys” (Kimmel 52). After reading this statement, I realized that if I were a mother reading that I would have been offended. I would have gotten offended because I feel like when little boys are at such a young age they need their mothers around to nurture them. When I was reading the story about the little boy who was getting his haircut and some of the chemicals burned him so he started to cry and the barber began to call him a wussy and that he needed to stay away from his mother I thought that was horrible. This little boy was only three and a half years old when this happened. How can you say that he is not being man enough at the age of three. I feel like that has no connection to how much time he was spending with his mother. A little kid as young as three will cry at anything that hurts them, I don’t feel like a mother has anything to do with that. A mother simply nurtures her child when the child is in pain. I think its horrible that males have to live up to this expectation of always having to feel “manly.”